Biography

Acquired via trade by the Detroit Lions from the Denver Broncos April 19, 2010.

Selected by the Denver Broncos in the second round (61st overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft.

2011: One of the team’s two starting tight ends. Has registered 22 receptions for 282 yards and 5 TDs on the year.

Caught an 11-yard touchdown pass in the season opening win at Tampa Bay (9/11).

Part of an offense that gained 324 total net yards in the first half of the game and took a 20-13 lead into the locker room. The last time they gained over 300 yards in the first half of a game was vs. Minnesota (11/16/97, 339 yards). It is also the first time since that game that the team has gained over 300 yards of total offense in the first half.

Caught a 36-yard touchdown reception to move the Lions lead to 14-3 in the second quarter vs. Kansas City (9/18). Also recovered a fumble on second-and-55 at the Kansas City 49-yard line that led to the Lions' first score on a 15-yard touchdown pass to WR Calvin Johnson in the game's opening drive.

Scheffler's 36-yard score marks his second touchdown reception of the season and the longest since joining the Lions in 2010. The Lions offense generated 48 points in the victory over the Chiefs, the most points scored by the Lions since they garnered 55 points in a Thanksgiving Day 55-20 win over Chicago (11/27/97). That game was also the last time the team scored 6 offensive touchdowns (rushing and receiving) in a single game. The last time the Lions scored 6 offensive touchdowns in a game of which at least 4 were via the pass was a 48-17 win over Chicago (10/19/81).

Inactive vs. San Francisco (10/16) with a concussion.

Had 3 receptions for 38 yards and 1 touchdown at Denver (10/30), his former team. He caught a juggling 28-yard gain in the second quarter to set the Lions up on the Denver 2-yard line. Three plays later, Stafford found Scheffler wide open on a play action pass from 1 yard out for the touchdown to give the Lions a 17-3 lead.

Hauled in a 10-yard touchdown pass from QB Matthew Stafford in the fourth quarter at Chicago (11/13).

Caught a touchdown in his third-straight game. QB Matthew Stafford found Scheffler down the middle of the field from 17 yards out in the third quarter vs. Carolina (11/20). It is the first time in his career he has caught a touchdown in three consecutive games and the first Lions tight end to accomplish the feat since David Hill in 1981.

Caught season-long 36-yard reception at New Orleans (12/4).

His 5 touchdown catches this season combined with TE Brandon Pettigrew’s 5 touchdown receptions, the duo are the second pair of Lions tight ends in team history to each register 5 touchdown catches each in a season. In 1976, Hall of Fame TE Charlie Sanders and TE David Hill each recorded 5 touchdown receptions that season.

2010: Bolstered the tight end position and gave Detroit one of the best one-two tight end punches, along with Brandon Pettigrew, in the League.Proved value in the slot and spread out wide as a receiver.Registered 45 receptions for 378 yards and a touchdown.

Started in first game of season in two-tight end set. Led team in receptions with 6 for 43 yards in season opener at Chicago (9/12).

Caught 1 pass for 5 yards against Philadelphia (9/19).

Recorded first touchdown as a Lion on a 5-yard pass from QB Shaun Hill at Minnesota (9/26) in the first quarter. Caught a team-high 7 receptions for 60 yards on the day.

Had 6 catches for 63 yards at Green Bay (10/3).

Caught 4 passes for 41 yards in Lions 44-6 win vs. St. Louis (10/10), including the first three receptions (30 yards) on the Lions late second quarter drive that stated with 1:37 left in the half and culminated with a touchdown with :10 in the half to give the Lions a 24-6 lead.

Had three catches for 34 yards at Buffalo (11/14).

Left game early at Dallas (11/21) due to a ribs injury.

Inactive against New England (11/25) due to injury.

Had 3 catches for 18 yards at Tampa Bay (12/19).

Had 6 catches for 50 yards against Minnesota (1/2). Fourth game of season with 6+ catches.

2009: Played in 15 contests with nine starts and tied for fourth on the club with 31 receptions while ranking third on the team with 416 receiving yards.

Recorded an interception at Cincinnati (9/13) on the game's last play as a deep free safety on the Bengals' Hail Mary attempt. Also had a 2-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter.

Led the club with 6 receptions for 101 yards (16.8 avg.) and a touchdown at San Diego (10/19), including a 52-yard catch in the fourth quarter that set up Denver's last touchdown.

Inactive vs. Kansas City (1/3/10).

2008: Saw time in 13 games with seven starts for the Broncos, totaling 40 receptions for a career-high 645 yards (16.1 avg.) with three touchdowns. Led all NFL tight ends and set a Denver single-season record for that position group with a 16.1 yards per receptions average that ranked 11th among all players for the year. Ranked eight in the league in receiving yards (645) by a tight end.

Posted a career-long 72-yard reception at Oakland (9/8) that was the longest reception by an NFL tight end in 2008.

Was inactive for games 6-8 with a groin injury.

2007: Played in all 16 games with seven starts for Denver, totaling a personal-best 49 receptions for 549 yards (11.2 avg.) with five touchdowns. Ranked second on the club with in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Placed tenth among all NFL tight ends in receptions, 11th in receiving yards and tied for eighth in receiving touchdowns. Tied for fourth among league tight ends with 47 receptions during the final 11 weeks of the year totaling 512 yards and all five of his receiving scores during that time. Also became the first Broncos tight end to since 2004 (Jeb Putzier) to record 500 receiving yards in a season.

Recorded 5 catches for 82 yards and a score at Chicago (11/25).

Posted his first career 100-yard receiving game with 100 yards on 7 catches, including a touchdown at Houston (12/13) on Thursday Night Football.

2006: Selected by the Broncos in the second round (61st overall) of the NFL Draft, Scheffler posted 18 receptions for 286 yards (15.9 avg.) with 4 touchdowns in 13 games with five starts as a rookie. His four touchdowns tied Rick Massie (1987) for the most receiving scores by a Broncos rookie in team history and were the most by a rookie tight end in club annals. Placed third among all NFL tight ends with 204 receiving yards (11 catches) and led that group with four touchdowns over the final four weeks of the season.

Made 3 catches for a season-high 66 yards with 2 touchdowns at San Diego (12/10). His two touchdowns against the Chargers came with 48 seconds from QB Jay Cutler, tying the NFL record for the fastest that two rookies produced a pair of touchdowns (Charlie Conerly and Bill Swiacki, New York Giants, 1948). It also tied a Denver single-game record for receiving touchdowns by a rookie and became the fifth rookie tight end in the NFL since 2000 to catch multiple touchdowns in a game with his performance in San Diego.

COLLEGE:Played 35 career games with 21 starts at Western Michigan, totaling 117 receptions for 1,345 yards (11.5 avg.) with 13 touchdowns. Finished career ranked second among tight ends in both receptions and receiving yards in school history.

Two-time first-team All-Mid-American Conference choice as a starter at tight end during his final two seasons after beginning his career as a wide receiver.

Placed fourth in voting for the John Mackey Award (nation's best tight end) as a senior, posting a career-high 57 receptions for 670 yards (11/8 avg.) with nine touchdowns.

PERSONAL:Attended Chelsea High School in Chelsea, Michigan, where he played wide receiver. Named a Detroit News Dream Team selection at Chelsea, setting a school single-season record for receiving yards (1,340) in 2000.

Totaled 67 catches with 16 touchdowns as a senior, helping the school post an 11-1 record.

Excelled away from football, starting on the school's basketball team and earning all-state honors as a first baseman on the baseball squad.

Lettered three times (2003-05) on Western Michigan's baseball team, posting a .293 career batting average with seven home runs and 41 RBI in 79 games.

Cousin of former Purdue University basketball player Steve Scheffler, who played seven seasons (1991-97) in the NBA and spent time on the Denver Nuggets in 1992.